Environmental Community Praises Congressional Champions for Prioritizing Climate, Biodiversity, Communities, & Health in 2023 Budget Negotiations

Today, House appropriators completed markups of Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) appropriations bills. As this legislation now receives consideration on the House floor and beyond, 16 environmental and climate advocacy groups highlighted the critical and necessary work of Congressional allies in securing investments that protect our public lands, wildlife, waters, coasts, oceans, and climate.

Below is a joint statement from American Rivers, Conservation Lands Foundation, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Elevate, the Endangered Species Coalition, Environmental Defense Fund, Evergreen Action, International Fund for Animal Welfare, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, National Parks Conservation Association, Oceana, Ocean Conservancy, and the Wilderness Society:

"We applaud leaders in the House for including significant investments that protect our climate, clean air and water, oceans, wildlife, public lands, and public health in their FY23 appropriations bills. As negotiations continue, these champions must keep up the fight to secure these investments and progress toward ensuring our communities are healthy and safe.

Now that Congress has eliminated draconian spending caps of the past decade, it must now fully fund the agencies that do essential work to protect people and the planet. Congress must fight for investments in our health, environment, and communities that meet or exceed the President's budget proposal. Amid an escalating biodiversity crisis, unprecedented extreme weather and wildfires fueled by the climate crisis, potential price gouging by oil and gas executives, and other pressing emergencies, we need these investments more than ever to ensure our families and communities are safe and healthy.